Stanford basketball has stellar recruiting class with 4 top prospects

By Elliott Almond ealmond@mercurynews.com

Posted:
11/21/2013 03:01:42 PM PST

Updated:
11/21/2013 03:01:42 PM PST

STANFORD -- The Stanford men's basketball team completed one of the country's top-ranked recruiting classes Wednesday with the signing of 6-foot-5 shooting guard Dorian Pickens of Pinnacle High-Phoenix.

He joins point guard Robert Cartwright of Flintridge Prep, center Michael Humphrey of Sunnyslope High-Phoenix, and Reid Travis of De La Salle High-Minneapolis, who is rated as the No. 7 power forward prospect by Scout.com.

The class ranks No. 13 nationally by ESPN.com and No. 14 by Scout.com. Cardinal coach Johnny Dawkins, who faces pressure to advance to the NCAA tournament in his sixth season, didn't have any commitments during the summer recruiting season. But the program made a late run when the 6-2 Cartwright decided to attend the school in September.

"We needed a point guard in this class and Robert was who we targeted," Dawkins said in a statement. "He kicked off the class for us with his commitment, and that's reflective of him being a future point guard and leader."

Travis, a 6-8, 240-pound forward who averaged 26.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game last season, picked Stanford over Duke and Minnesota.

"The Stanford brand, that kind of persona, is how I envision my college experience," he said in a statement. "That's what sold me."